Fire-escape



C. H. PRAY. FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT. 4, 1919.

Patentd June 15, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HENRY PRAY, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

Application filed September ,4, 1919. Serial No. 321,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnnns H. PRAY, a citizen of the United States, residin at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, tate of California, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a der and a counterbalanced ground ladder slidable on the permanent ladder and latched in normal elevated position with the rings of both ladders horizontally alined and positioned in close proximity to each other to form relatively wide steps.

Another obj cct is to provide a supporting latch for the slidable ground ladder accessible only from the second fioor platform.

With these and other incidental objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are recited in the appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings corresponding reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which Figure 1' is a front elevation of my improved fire escape as applied to a building, showing the ground ladder in normal ele vated position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 31s a similar side elevation showing the ground ladder in lowered position.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the second floor platform.

Fig. 5 is a plan section on line as -m of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 00 -50 of Fig. 5.

In the drawings A designates the lower platform positioned adjacent a second story window of the building and hereinafter termed the second floor platform. B designates an upper platform hereinafter termed the third floor platform. Each platform is secured to the building in the usual manner and is provided with the usual guard rail 1- and open hatchway 2.

The supporting framework of each platform includes a pair of parallel horizontal beams 34, extending outwardly from the building in alinement with the opposite sides of the hatchway.

A stationary ladder C is positioned between the two platforms with the terminal ends of its side rails 56 secured to the beams 34 of. each platform.

A vertically movable ground ladder D is positioned closely adjacent the ladder C with its vertical-side rails 78 in overlapping engagement with the outer sides of the side rails 56 of the ladder C. The

upper end of the ladderD is retained in close sliding engagement with the ladder C by a pair of retaining plates 9 which are attached to the upper ends of the side rails 78 and are bent over the rear edges of the side rails 56 of the ladder C. l

The ladder D slides in vertical guide grooves 1011 which are formed by plates 12-13 secured to the outer sides of the beam 34, and said ladder is normally latched in elevated position by a slidable latch 15 which is supported in a housing 16 secured to the plate 12. Said latch is adapted to be translated horizontally to close the bottom of the groove 11 in which the movable ladder slides, the side rail 8 thereof resting on the latch, as a supporting abutment, which is in normal elevated position; The latch 15 has. an upturned flange 17 provided with a notch 18 adapted to be engaged by the lower end of an operating lever 19. Said lever is pivoted at 20 and extends upwardly through an opening in the floor of the platform.

Means are provided for counterbalancing the ground ladder D, such means comprismg a weight 21 slidable on a pair of vertical rods 22-23 extending between and attached to the platforms A and B. Ropesor cables 24-25 are attached to opposite sides of the weight and each cable extends upwardly over a pair of sheaves 26-27 journaled upon the framework of the platform B and downwardlly to a point of attachment to the ladder The construction provides a simple and practical fire escape comprising a pair of closely nested ladders, one stationary and the other slidable thereon with the slidable ladder normally supported with the rungs of both ladders relatively horizontally alined and positioned invclose proximity to each other to provide a wide step.

I claim:

1. A fire escape comprising two relatively spaced stationary platforms and an intermediate stationary vertical ladder, a slidable ground ladder, means for retaining said ground ladder in close sliding engagement with the stationary ladder, counter-balance means connected to the ground ladder, and manually operated means normally supporting the ground ladder in ele vated position.

2. A fire escape comprising two relatively spaced platforms and an intermediate stationary vertical ladder, vertical guide rods intermediate of and secured to the platforms, a counterbalance weight slidable on said rods, aground ladder, means retaining the groundladder in close sliding contact with the stationary ladder, cable sheaves journaled on the upper platform,

ing opposed vertical grooves, 21 vertical sta-- tionary ladder secured at opposite ends to the upper and lower platform respectively. a vertically movable ground ladder slidable in said grooves, means for guiding the upper end of the ground ladder relative to the stationary ladder, counterbalance means connected to the ground ladder and a horizontally movable latch normally closing the bottom of one groove and forming a supporting abutment for the ground ladder.

4:. A fire escape comprising an upper and a lower platform having relatively alined open hatchways, the lower platform having opposed vertical grooves adjacent the hatchway, an intermediate stationary ladder, the upper ends of the side rails of said ladder being secured to the upper platform and the lower ends of said side rails secured to the lower platform adjacent the vertical grooves, a ground ladder slidable in said grooves, counterbalance means connected to the ground ladder and a manually operated means normally closing the lower end of one of the grooves and supporting the ground ladder in elevated position.

.Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 7th day of August, 1919.

CHARLES HENRY PRAY Witnesses:

CLARENCE B. F OSTER, L. BELLE WEAVER. 

